Essential education reporting across America

Mental Health in Schools

An outdoor shot of several people bending over to plant flowers in a grassy area
From Chalkbeat Philadelphia Gun Violence and Schools
On a grim anniversary, Roxborough High remembers a young victim of gun violence
Last school year, 199 Philadelphia students were victims of gun violence, and 33 died.
By Dale Mezzacappa
 
The exterior and entrance to a building with a brown brick face, marked “Traverse Academy”
From Chalkbeat Colorado Mental Health in Schools
Traverse Academy, first-of-its-kind facility for students in mental health crisis, set to open soon
The Cherry Creek School District built the new facility in Aurora with $19 million in voter-approved bond funding.
By Melanie Asmar
 
A row of backpacks hang on hooks.
From Chalkbeat Newark Mental Health in Schools
Newark schools receive $8.9 million grant to implement mental health programs
The federal grant, known as Project AWARE, will support Newark in promoting healthy social and emotional learning environments and prevent violence in schools.
By Jessie Gomez
 
An empty school hallway lined with lockers.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Mental Health in Schools
How the Detroit school district is addressing students’ mental health needs
‘When students who have untreated behavioral health issues do not receive support and intervention, they find other ways of dealing with those feelings,’ said Alycia Meriweather, deputy superintendent for the Detroit school district.
By SaMya Overall, Outlier Media
 
A line of people hold hands and bow their heads around a stone building.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Gun Violence and Schools
Tennessee legislature will avoid gun control in special session prompted by mass school shooting
Governor’s proclamation and new House rules limit subjects and debate.
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A little girl stands behind a red and white sign that says, “We can end gun violence.”
From Chalkbeat Chicago First Person
Community violence is traumatizing my students. Here’s how I help them cope.
A new study lays bare the realities of gun violence in Chicago.
By LaToya Winton
 
A woman in a red shirt stands next to three bear sculptures inside a school.
From Chalkbeat Colorado How I Teach
‘I am here, I care:’ How this Colorado school social worker heads off mistrust
Leah Williamson, a school social worker, said her students don’t “come from white picket fences, unicorns, and glitter, and do not want to be treated as [if] they do.”
By Ann Schimke
 
A woman in a jean jacket sits at a desk and talks as a man sits next to her in a black shirt and glasses with a laptop computer in front of him.
From Chalkbeat Indiana Mental Health in Schools
Mental health services in Indiana schools face criticism from some parents
Students’ need for mental health services is growing, but some conservative activist parents don’t think schools have a big part to play.
By Dylan Peers McCoy, WFYI
 
A tray under a student’s desk seat is filled with books and workbooks. The student, whose legs are present in the image, is wearing rainbow-colored shoes.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Politics & Policy
From buildings to budgets, here are five key issues facing Memphis-Shelby County Schools this year
Memphis students return to classes for a new school year that could turn out to be pivotal.
By Laura Testino
 
Cell phones on a wood surface locked in a cage.
From Chalkbeat New York Teaching & Classroom
PODCAST: A look at locking up cell phones in NYC schools
Bronx student Zainab Kuta explores school cell phone policies for the Miseducation podcast from The Bell, which trains NYC high school students in audio journalism.
By Zainab Kuta, The Bell
 
A teen wearing headphones is standing outside in a leafy neighborhood.
From Chalkbeat New York Mental Health in Schools
Mental health struggles often kept them home from school. But these students still made it to graduation.
NYC social workers say they are dealing with more extreme cases of school refusal, fueled in part by an alarming rise in suicidal ideation.
By Amy Zimmer
 
Several students wearing black smocks smile and hold up artwork featuring yellow crowns.
Mental Health in Schools Mental Health in Schools
How Black students are helping each other cope with mental health challenges
To counter the stereotype that Black students should simply ‘suck it up’ in response to trauma, a New Jersey school district is trying a peer mentoring program.
By Patrick Wall
 
A girl with pink hair and a beanie stands outside a school surrounded by plants and a brick wall.
From Chalkbeat New York Chronic Absenteeism
How one NYC high school is using summer classes to re-engage struggling students
Educators at the Harbor School are working hard to turn summer school into something students can feel proud of and look forward to.
By Michael Elsen-Rooney
 
Sleeping teenage girl, covered with pink blanket, holding mobile phone.
From Chalkbeat New York Healthy schools
PODCAST: Wake up call on school start times
Bronx student Jose Santana explores school start times on the Miseducation podcast from The Bell, which trains New York City high school students in audio journalism.
By Jose Santana, The Bell
 
The front columns and tower of the Denver City and County building against a cloudy sky.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chronic Absenteeism
To address youth violence and mental health, Denver may partner with schools to add staff and resources
A proposed pilot project by the Denver City Council would provide a staffer and mobile resources to 6 high schools and 2 middle schools.
By Sara Martin
 
A poster of a little boy with a sign saying “Thank you nurses!” is on the side of the refrigerator in the nurse’s office of an elementary school.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Chronic Absenteeism
DPSCD superintendent announces school-based health hubs
The health centers in 12 schools are intended to curb student absenteeism and provide families with critical and convenient resources.
By Ethan Bakuli
 
NYC Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams exchange a ceremonial handshake over a budget deal for the next fiscal year. They are surrounded by people standing behind them on stairs and people on either side of them.
From Chalkbeat New York Politics & Policy
NYC’s budget deal restores cuts to mental health and child care programs
NYC officials announced a budget agreement that restores funding to a slew of programs that were on the chopping block.
By Reema Amin and Alex Zimmerman
 
New York schools Chancellor David Banks and New York Mayor Eric Adams stand behind three students who are practicing deep breathing in a room.
From Chalkbeat New York New York City Department of Education
Mayor Adams touts deep breathing as advocates press to restore school counseling program
Advocates want the mayor to restore funding for the Mental Health Continuum, a program that gives students easier access to counselors.
By Alex Zimmerman
 
A rainbow flag against a blue sky.
From Chalkbeat New York LGBTQ+
New York education officials update guidance on how to support LGBTQ students
The new document updates guidance from 2015, providing information about newer state laws barring student discrimination based on gender identity.
By Reema Amin
 
National_20230323_SchoolClinics_RachelWisniewski_012.JPG
Mental Health in Schools Mental Health in Schools
School clinics bolster students’ mental health. So why aren’t there more?
Nearly half the states fund school-based health centers. Yet keeping them open is a constant challenge, and some want Congress to do more.
By Patrick Wall
 
Two photos: on the left, an empty room. On the right, a boy sits on a bed covering his face
From Chalkbeat Indiana Special education
Indiana isn’t holding schools accountable for forcibly isolating and restraining students
Some schools aren’t accurately reporting data about what’s supposed to be a last resort to protect the safety of students and others.
By Lee V. Gaines, WFYI
 
Hands with red-painted fingernails hold a cell phone.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Mental Health in Schools
Tennessee school district sues social media companies over student mental health ‘crisis’
Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools is the state’s first to take Facebook, TikTok, and others to court.
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A girl in a pink dress holds a card with a boy’s sad face that says “sad.”
From Chalkbeat New York Meeting the Moment
Many schools opted out of a controversial social-emotional assessment. Now NYC is ditching the tool.
Teachers and parents raised concerns about the DESSA, a social-emotional learning tool that schools began using last year.
By Amy Zimmer
 
An image of the ornate facade of the The Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library.
From Chalkbeat New York Mental Health in Schools
Open Newsroom: Accessing mental health resources in NYC public schools
THE CITY and Chalkbeat hosted a session at Brooklyn’s Central Library about how to get appropriate mental health support for kids in NYC public schools.
By Chalkbeat Staff
 
Mother taking her daughter to school. The little girl wears a pink backpack
First Person First Person
I never thought my child would need a school social worker, but I’m so glad she’s in our lives
When Mrs. D first told me she wanted to meet with my daughter, I was filled with wrongheaded ideas about what a school social worker does.
By Fabiola Mejia
 
A 13-year-old boy walks on a sidewalk next to a wooden fence. You can’t see his face. The photo is taken from the back. He is wearing a T-shirt.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
How Colorado is filling gaps for its ‘most vulnerable’ children as last-resort schools dwindle
“It’s a huge, complex system, and it’d be naive to think one piece of legislation is going to fix everything,” one state official said.
By Melanie Asmar and Rae Ellen Bichell
 
The shadows of children playing can be seen on the blacktop.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
Colorado is pouring more money into schools for kids with behavioral health issues and disabilities
But are they helping?
By Jennifer Brown and Melanie Asmar
 
A dark-haired child is seen from above working on an art project. A half circle and rays depict a sun. The child is coloring a long orange arc.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
Students in rural Colorado left without options as specialized schools close
A single facility school serves all of Colorado’s Western Slope, while rural schools struggle to hire skilled staff. Some children have to cross mountain ranges to get an education.
By Rae Ellen Bichell and Helen Santoro
 
An orange sign says “testing in progress, do not disturb” as students work in the background.
From Chalkbeat Indiana First Person
As problem behaviors persist, is state testing making things worse?
We’re preparing young people for the past, and students feel the disconnect.
By Ronak Shah
 
A man and a woman stand in front of the steps of the Michigan Capitol in Lansing.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Politics & Policy
Michigan schools would get funding boost under House and Senate budget proposals
The school aid budgets from both chambers would invest more heavily in helping students get back on track academically and mentally.
By Lori Higgins
 
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